N Carolina Transgender Inmate to Transfer to Women's Prison

Prison officials in North Carolina are honoring the wishes of a transgender inmate and transferring her to a women's prison.

The state's Department of Public Safety on Friday told lawyers for the ACLU of North Carolina that they plan to transfer Kanautica Zayre-Brown to a women's facility by August 22.

Zayre-Brown is believed to be the state's only post-operative transgender prisoner. But the state had classified her as a man and incarcerated her at a men's prison. She said she constantly fears assault.

The state said it's basing its decision on the "unique characteristics, circumstances and personal history" of Zayre-Brown.

She has been serving a sentence of up to nearly 10 years since 2017 after being convicted as a habitual offender on insurance-fraud charges.